The Washington critic., 1887-11-29
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

j. M. Reid Of Keokuk. Iowa, con.
tributes to the History Of the FIJI.
teehth Iowa" General Belknap's old
reg'menD the following graphic &C.
count Of Confederate charge at Ezra
Church, In front of Atlanta, July 2s,
1864: "The Confederate forces, formed
In columns on the hill, made grand
display as they took up their line of
march down the hill, marching as
coolly and as deliberately as II they
were going out on battalion or gran DIRE.
view. till they were full half way to
the fence, when, from our fire, they
commenced falling, being killed or
wounded, but they never wavered. but
closed up and came steadily on toward
our works. A gallant and handsome
mounted on large, fiery dappled.g gray
horse, which made him conspicuous, led
them with drawn saber, and we learned
from General Govan of Arkansas, was
General E.. @. Walthall of Grenada.
Miss. o very distinguished lawyer,
now United States Senator from that
State. Three times he led that grand
veteran column, as 1t were, into the
jaws Of death, to charge upon our
works, and three times they were re.
pulsed. 1t seemed as If half the army
were firing at the General. / took
seven shots at him myself, as fast as a
musket could be loaded for me. 1t is
not strange that did not hit him, but
/ have often wondered how he escaped,
as learn he and his horse also did,
unhurt, with all those sharpshooters
after his scalp. have seen many
mounted officers under fire and In bat
tie, but never saw any man bear him.
self with more heroic daring In the face
Of death on every side than he did on
that day. He won the admiration of
his enemies"
lam told at the War Department,
writes Frank G. Carpenter, that Secre.
tary Endicott Is the hardest worker that
the Department has had since the days
Of Secretary Stanton. He comes to the
Office at 10 o'clock, stopping at the
Presidents on the way down, and works
on through the day until between and
A in the afternoon, when he leaves his
Office and carries his work with him to
bis house. He takes his chief clerk
with him, and the two work until or
6p. m, and during Congressional ses.
sions their work often lasts until Z.
When Secretary Endicott reaches the
War Department he finds his ante.
room full of callers. From 10 until IL
he sees almost everybody who wants to
see him, and Senators and Representa-.
tives are expected to enter without
sending In their cards. The theory at
Washington is that the Senators and
Representative are to be considered In
their official capacity rather than their
individual ones, and that they are the
States they represent. Secretary Eudi.
colt has been represented as the soul of
red tape, and 1t has been said that
everything that comes In or goes out
of his Department has to be bound
with silk ribbon and sealed with wax.
q upon which is the monogram of Massa.
chusetts. This isa mistake. The Sec.
retary has nothing snobbish about him,
and It Is his rule In receiving his callers
to attend to the business which is before
him before taking up other business. II
he is engaged on some matter Of import.
ance with General Sheridan, he gives
instruction that he is not at home to
ordinary callers until he IL through with
the thing at issue. He receives, as a
rule, all callers who come at the proper
hours. fa
Says Mr.. Carpenter again: Mrs. Fair.
child and Mrs. Endicott will entertain
considerably this winter, and Mrs.
Fairchild has one of the best houses at
the Capital for this purpose, Mrs.
Fairchild is very pretty woman, and
she comes from one OF the old families
of New York. She is we'll educated,
reads and talks French and Is, I am
told, as much student as her hus
band. Her maiden name was Helen
Childs, and 1t is said that the family
came from Massachusetts originally.
Mrs. Childs' grandfather having given
his sons good education gave two of
them horse and carriage and told them
to 60 West and seek their fortunes.
Tney drove to Utica, N. Y, and there
sold the carriage and harness. One
OF the loys, David. remained at Utica,
whore he made fortune as banker,
aud the other, Mrs. Fairchilds' father,
rode the horse on to Cazenovia. Here
he stopped and practiced law. He mar.
ried and It was here that the present
Secretary Fairchild courted his daugh.
ter. Mrs. Fairchilds' mother is sister
of HoIalio Seymour. and one of her
aunts Ia Roscoe Conklipg's wife. She is
q brown eyed blond OF medium height
and graceful figure, good talker and
dresses well. Her husband, The Sec
retary, Is a fine looking man. lie
wears good clothes aud has as much
right as has Whitney to the title of
"ihe dude of the Cabinet" Mrs. En-
dicott will hold forth at the Pendleiop
mansion. She was originally Ellen
Peabody, daughter of George Pea
body of Salem, and comes of the same
= family as the bachelor millionaire.
She Is younger than the Secretary, and
is said to be fond of philosophic con.
versation. She has a very pretty
daughter who assists her In her social
enl,r ailments.
just Our.
kY \ hy